Epoxy resins are used as the predominant ingredient in the fabrication of composite parts and can be utilized both as matrix resin and as crosslinking agents. The degree of functionality of the resin is critical in determining the final properties and the range of end-use applications. Accordingly, production of new resins with enhanced functionality and improved toughness will have a wide range of applications in various fields of composites, coatings, paints, and Interpenetrating Polymer Networks (IPNs). New resins must not only have the requisite properties, but also can be obtained from non-petrochemical sources and have a demonstrably lower materials life cycle cost. The majority of polyfunctional epoxies are sourced from petrochemicals such as, for example, those based on Novolac epoxy. There are others based on polyhydroxy compounds such as glycerol, and epoxy esters derived from polycarboxylic acids as alterative multi-functional epoxy resins. Several melamine formaldehyde resins are known compounds and produced industrially such as: melamine oil, melamine hexamethylol esters.
There is still a need for improved melamine resins and for new uses and applications of the same with increased functionality. The present application fulfills these needs as well as others.